Folding shipping-crate.



.L P. MYSER.

FOLDING SHIPPING CRATE.

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Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

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J. P. MYSBR.

FOLDING SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 1111111.17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 14,1913.

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INVENTOR ATTO R N EY COLUMNA PLANOGRAPM C0., wAsmN UNTTED STATES FTEN TGFFTCE.

JAMES F. MYSER, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

FOLDING SHIPPING-CRATE.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES F. MYsER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver andState of Colorado, have invented a new and useful FoldingShipping-Crate, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in folding shipping crates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction offolding shipping crates, and to provide a simple, practical andcomparatively inexpensive shipping crate, designed particularly forshipping poultry, hogs, sheep, etc., and adapted to be quickly foldedand unfolded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shipping crate of thischaracter, equipped with feed and water troughs,

capable of folding compactly with the walls' and top of the crate, andadapted when folded to occupy an upright position.

Vith t-hese and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construct-ion, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spiritorsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a collapsible crate,co-nstructed in accordance with this invent-ion and shown partly folded.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, the crate being arranged .foruse. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 8-3of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view, the crate being folded. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of one of the catches.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the crate comprises in its construction asolid bottom l, foldable side walls 2, foldable end walls 3 and afoldable top composed of sections 4, connectedwith and carried by thefoldable side walls 2. The side walls, the end walls and the sec-Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913. Serial No. 615,138.

tions of the top are duplicates of each other, and are preferablyconstructed of spaced wooden slats and connecting bars or posts, andthey are adapted to be cheaply and conveniently constructed. Instead ofemploying Wooden slats, other material may be used in the constructionof the crate. The side walls are of a height to extend to the medianline of the bottom of the crate when the latter is folded.

The side walls 2 are mounted upon blocks 5, suitably secured to theupper face of the bot-tom and arranged at the ends and centers of theside edges of the same and forming supports for the side walls, whichare connected to the end blocks by hinges 6. The hinges 6 are arrangedat the inner faces of the end posts 7 of the side walls and are securedto the inner edges of the blocks, and the lower ends of the posts 7 abutagainst the upper faces of the blocks and limit the outward swing of theside walls, when the crate is unfolded and arranged for use. Theintermediate blocks support connecting bars 8, secured to the innerfaces of the slats of the side walls and resting upon the intermediateblocks, when the side walls are arranged in a vertical position. Theblocks 5 besides constituting firm supports for the side walls providespaces beneath the same to enable the bottom of the crate to be easilycleaned.

The end walls 3 are connected by hinges 9 to transverse bars l0, mountedupon end blocks 1l, which are fastened to the upper faces of transversecleats 12, and the latter are secured to the upper face of the bottomand connect the boards or pieces composing the same.v The bars 10, theblocks 11 and the cleats l2 support the end walls in an elevatedposition to enable them to fold flat upon the side walls, as hereinafterfully eX- plained, and the arrangement of the hinges 9 at the innerfaces of the posts or bars 13 and the transverse bars 10 cause the lowerends of the posts to abut against the bars 10 and limit the openingmovement of the end walls 3.

The sections of the top are connected at their outer edges to the upperedges of the side walls by hinges 14, secured to the inner faces of theposts 7 and to the inner or lower faces of end connecting bars 15 of thetop sections. The slats of the top sections are also connected byintermediate bars 16, and

the intermediate and end connecting bars of the top sections abutagainst the posts and the intermediate bars of the side walls and limitthe upward or outward swinging movement of the top sections. The hingesof the folding parts are all at the inner faces of the same, and theyare concealed when the crate is arranged for use, and also are arrangedto cause the hinged parts to abut and form a firm structure when thecrate is unfolded and set up for use.

The end walls are equipped with catches i7, constructed of suitablematerial and sccured to the central connecting bars 1,8 of the said endwalls, and projecting laterally therefrom and provided with spaced upperand lower horizontally disposed lugs or flanges 15) and 20, formingintervening recesses of a size corresponding to the thick ness of thetop sections, and adapted to receive the saine, whereby the upper andlower flanges or lugs of the catches are adapted to securely hold thetop sections against upward and outward movement. The catches are alsoprmfided with vertical side flanges 2l, tapered toward their lower endsand forming inner inclined edges which are adapted to direct thesections of the top into engagement with the recesses, formed by theupper and lower lugs 19 and 20. lll/Then the sections of the top are.'aised to a horizontal position, they ride np the inclined or bevelededges of the flanges 2l and force the end walls outwardly, which springor snap baclt into position when the top sections are brought intoalinement with the recesses between the lugs or flanges 19 and Q0. rlhclugs or flanges 19 and 2O engage the end connecting bars of the sectionsof the top in the spaces between the longitudinal slats, and. the saidlugs or flanges are received in the spaces between the slats when thecrate is folded. rfhe crate is also equipped at the side edges of itsend walls, which are located. beyond the terminals of the sine walls,with hooks 22a, adapted to engage eyes 3 of the side walls orprojections 24: of the bottom. The eyes are arranged to be engaged bythe hooks, when the crate is unfolded and the sides are in a "verticalposition, and the hooks engage the projections 2t when the crate isfolded. The projections or studs 2li are preferably formed by headedfastening' devices. rllhe sections of the top fold downwardly andinwardly against the inner faces of the side walls of the crate, and thelatter fold downwardly and inwardly to the bottom, the sections of thetop being interposed between the side walls of the crate and the bottomthereof, when the crate is folded. The end walls fold inwardly upon theside valls and fit flat against the same. In unfolding the crate the endwalls are first swung upwardly to a vertical position, and `he sides areraised to arrange them in a vertical position, after which the sectionsof the top are swung upwardly to a horizontal position, which engagesthem with the catches of the end walls. its none of the parts aredetachable, it will be apparent that the crate may be quickly folded andunfolded.

The connecting bars or posts of the side walls are arranged at the innerfaces of the slats, and the connecting bars of the sections of the topare also arranged at the inner or lower faces of the slats and they abutagainst the posts or bars of the side walls, when the parts are folded,and the slats or body portion of the side walls and the top sections arespaced apart sufficiently to re ceive feed and water troughs Only one isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but two or more may beemployed. The trough or receptacle 2,5 is equipped at its outer wallwith hinges 2G, having leaves or elements 27 extended and anguu larlybent to form hooks for engaging the upper edge of one of the horizontalslats of the side walls. By this construction, the trough or receptacleis detachable, and is also adapted to be folded against the inner faceof the side wall, and it occupies an upright position between the sidewall and the adjacent section of the top when the crate is folded.

rlhc top of the crate is equipped with a slidable door 28 of anypreferred construction, and while only one of the sections of the top isshown equipped with a sliding door, both may be provided with the same.Also either one of the sections of the top may be swung downward toprovide an enlarged opening when a number of fowls are to be placed inor removed. from the crate.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is zl. A crate including a bottom, sidewalls hinged to the bottom and foldable inwardly over the same, a topcomposed of sections hinged to the side walls at the upper edgesthereof, and end walls hinged to the bottom and foldable inwardly overthe side walls, and a catch mounted on the end walls at the centralportion thereof and. having opposite recesses to receive the sections ofthe tcp and provided with inclined guiding edges or faces extendingupwardly to the said recesses.

2. A crate including a bottom, side walls hinged to the bottom andfoldable inwardly over the same, a top composed of sections hinged tothe side walls at the upper edges thereof, and end walls hinged to thebottom and foldable inwardly over the side walls, and a catch mounted onthe end walls and provided with opposite horizontal lugs or flangesarranged in pairs and providing recesses to receive the sections of thetop, said lugs or anges holding the sections of the top against upwardand downward movement.

3. A crate including a bottom, side walls hinged to the bottom andfoldable inwardly over the same, a top composed of sections hinged tothe side walls at the upper edges thereof, and end walls hinged to thebottom and foldable inwardly over the side walls, and a catch mounted onthe end walls and provided with opposite horizontal lugs or iangesarranged in pairs and forming recesses to receive the sections of thetop, said catch being also provided with flanges eX- tending downwardlyfrom the lower lugs or flanges and tapered to form inclined edges forguiding the sections of the top to the said recesses.

4. A crate including a bottom, side walls composed of slats andconnecting bars and hinged to and foldable over the bottom, a top alsocomposed of slats and connecting bars and hinged to the side walls atthe l upper edges thereof and foldable against and engaging the samebetween the slats v thereof and arranged to extend between the slats ofthe side walls when the crate is folded.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afHXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. MYSER.

lVitnesses:

I. A. MYSER, W. WV. l/VATsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

